Etc.
ETC.
LOVE RIDE THUNDERS THROUGH
Love Ride 10, an annual Muscular Dystrophy Association fund-raising ride in Southern California raised more than $1 million for the MDA, and attracted 17,000 riders. The 50-mile ride has become the world’s largest one-day motorcycle fund-raising event.
Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda served as Grand Marshals, riding together for the first time since 1968, when they starred in Easy Rider, the legendary 1960s’ counterculture film.
Nine city blocks in Glendale, California, were closed off so motorcyclists could register for the November ride. Participants pledged at least $40, receiving admission to a post-ride concert and a barbecue lunch.
Harley enthusiasts performing at the concert included Mick Fleetwood, Dwight Yoakum, Eric Burdon and former Doors member Robbie Krieger.
FEDS TO TEST MORE HELMETS
The federal government will dramatically increase the number of motorcycle helmets it tests this year, says Otto Matheke, an attorney with the National Highway Traffic Safety Agency.
Fifteen helmets were tested in 1993; 200 will be done this year. Thirty helmets will be given full tests, which examine strap strength, impact absorption and puncture resistance in cold, hot and room temperatures, and in wet conditions. Another 170 helmets will get the room-temperature tests, with full scrutiny applied if a helmet fails, or comes close to failing.
Matheke says testers will focus on new models, and those that appear suspect. He says the tests could lead to enforcement actions against companies marketing helmets that don’t meet federal standards.
IN FOR THE LONG HAUL
Two men will load up a BMW R100GS this month, attempting to make the first motorcycle passage from Singapore, through Myanmar, formerly Burma, to Europe. Mike Tucker, with a photographer on the back, will ride the bike through Myanmar, rather than cross the Bay of Bengal, from India to Thailand, as others have done.
The journey’s been made only once, in 1956, by two English teams using Land Rovers. It took more than six months to cover the estimated 12,500 miles. Tucker says he’s planning to make the trek in 60 days.
Until recently, the trip was not possible, since civil unrest in Myanmar led the government to close its borders to overland travelers.
Plans call for the team to depart from Singapore, travel through Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Austria, Germany and France, concluding the journey in Paris.
HEAR THE DUCKS SING
When roads freeze over in Sweden, Swedish Ducati Club members still savor the sweet sounds of their favorite motorcycles; they just fire up the compact disc player.
The 400-member club has released “Ducati Passions,” a CD with about 15 minutes of 22 different Ducatis on the fly. There’s also a song, “Ducati Power” by Micke and the Desmos. Ducati’s history is well served here, with bikes from the 1950s, ’60s and 70s on the disc, along with a 1981 Mike Hailwood Replica. The latest machines are all there, too, including the 888SP5 and M900 Monster. Technophiles will be pleased to know that the club lists the type of exhaust system fitted to each bike. Interested in stereo Ducatis? Write Lars Ekman, Flotviksvagen 13, S162 72 Vallingby, Sweden.
